The first ever Gold Cup at Cheltenham took place back in July 1819. It wasn’t the Gold Cup we know, in fact it was actually a Flat race ran over three miles! The winner of the race - Spectre won 100 guineas.
The race became more like the one we know now back in 1924, albeit it took place on the Old Course rather than the current home on the New Course. That renewal was won by a horse called Red Splash who earned £685!
The current version of the Gold Cup is run on the fourth and final day of the
Cheltenham Festival, which is a Friday. It is the feature race of the day which is now known as Gold Cup Day. The prize money has changed significantly too, with a total up for grabs of £625,000 and the winner scooping £351,687.50!
To the general public, the Grand National at Aintree is likely viewed as the biggest race of the National Hunt season but for the majority of horse racing fans, the Gold Cup is viewed as the pinnacle of the great game.
Cheltenham Gold Cup distance, course & race conditions
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is run over 3m2.5f. Whilst there are many races run over longer distances such as the Grand National, which is run over a full mile further (4m2.5f), the Gold Cup is a real test of stamina.
A huge part of why it is such a test is both the stiff track - Cheltenham and especially the fact it is run on the New Course, which is notoriously more stamina over speed in complete contrast to the Old Course. The other main factor is the fact that it is such a high quality race, they go at a really strong pace and it’s often from flag fall to the finish; absolutely relentless.
They have 22 fences to jump throughout the race and as a general rule, you need to be pretty foot perfect to win. With the speed they go and the quality of horses involved, it’s hard to come back from any jumping errors.
Cheltenham Gold Cup eligibility and entry requirements
In order to compete in the Gold Cup, the horse must be aged five years and older. That said, given the extreme stamina test that the Gold Cup is, the calibre of horse required for it and with the lesser options available for Novices, it’s usually older horses that compete in the race.
As it is a Grade 1, you generally have to be rated at least 130 by the BHA in order to be able to compete.
If a five-year-old was to compete, they would carry 11st 6lb, opposed to the standard 11st 10lb carried by horses six and older. If a mare was to compete, they would receive 7lb from their male counterparts. However, it is very rare to see either take their chance.
Cheltenham Gold Cup past winners and records
The most recent winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup was Gaelic Warrior in 2026 and he won in fantastic style by eight lengths. The time was remarkably nearly 11 seconds faster than the standard time, both showing the level of performance from the winner but also the quick ground conditions.
Easter Hero won back to back renewals in 1929 and 1930. Golden Miller incredibly won five consecutive renewals from 1932 to 1936. The first multiple winner in the post-war era was Cottage Rake who won the 1948, 1949 and 1950 renewals. Another legend of the sport - Arkle, won all three renewals from 1964 to 1966.
One incredible moment in Gold Cup history came in 1983 when trainer - Michael Dickinson not only trained the winner but he actually saddled the 1-2-3-4-5. Bregawn came home first, followed by his stablemates - Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck and Ashley House.
Dawn Run wrote her name in history back in 1986 when she won the race, becoming the first horse to land the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup double. One of just eight mares to win the former and one of just four to win the latter too. She is also the sole horse to win all three of the English, Irish and French versions of the Champion Hurdle.
Other notable winners include Desert Orchid who was a real fan favourite, Norton’s Cross who won at 100/1 and Best Mate who won three consecutive renewals. Kauto Star became the first horse to regain the race after winning it in both 2007 and 2009. Coneygree also deserves a mention as he won the race in 2015 as a novice!
Most successful trainers & jockeys in the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Willie Mullins (trainer) and Paul Townend (jockey) have both won the race a remarkable five times, partnering the same horses - Al Boum Photo in 2019 and 2020, Galopin Des Champs in 2023 and 2024 and Gaelic Warrior in 2026.
Tom Dreaper (trainer) has also won five renewals though, so he shares the top spot with Willie Mullins on that front. He won the race with Prince Regent in 1946, Arkle in 1964, 1965 and 1966, before then winning it for a fifth time with Fort Leney in 1968.
The leading owner is Dorothy Paget who owned the great Golder Miller who won five renewals of the race as already covered but also owned Roman Hackle who won the 1940 renewal and Mont Tremblant who won in 1952.
Willie Mullins and Paul Townend are also the only ones to have won multiple renewals on multiple horses with Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs both being two-time champions. With Gaelic Warrior hopefully defending his crown in 2027, they could make that three dual winners between them!
Cheltenham Gold Cup trends
The Cheltenham Gold Cup has been dominated by the Irish in the last decade. From 2017 to 2026, every renewal bar one has been won by Irish raiders. Five have gone to Willie Mullins, two to Henry De Bromhead and one to Gavin Cromwell. The sole Brit to break through their dominance was Colin Tizzard with Native River back in 2018.
In recent years, it has also been dominated by those backed into favouritism. In the last seven renewals, five of the winners have been sent off favourite, including the latest winner - Gaelic Warrior. The only two winners that were not favourite in this period were Minella Indo (9/1) and Inothewayurthinkin (15/2). In both of those renewals, the favourite has finished in the first three.
All bar one of the last ten winners had previously won or placed at a previous Cheltenham Festival. The sole horse to fail to meet that criteria is Al Boum Photo for his first Gold Cup win. However, he likely would have met the trend had he not fallen at the third last fence when sat in third in the 3m Novice Chase the prior year.
Popular betting markets for the Cheltenham Gold Cup
The two key
betting markets for the Cheltenham Gold Cup
are the antepost market and then the standard Win/Each Way market. The former opens over a year in advance of the race as punters try to predict the winner way in advance, in order to secure the best prices.
The Forecast and Tricast market are often popular as well and Distance Betting has been particularly fruitful in some of the recent renewals. With the domination by the favourites in recent years, the Betting Without market can also be a smart play.
Those with strong opinions can also dive into the Match Betting markets where you can put two horses head-to-head and bet on who will finish in the best position. As with most big sporting events, there will also be a wide range of specials available nearer the time.
How to pick a winner in the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Judging on the recent data, the secret to success is finding an Irish trained horse with previous Cheltenham Festival form and often one trained by one man in particular - Willie Mullins.
Given that the last two times that Willie Mullins has won the race prior to Gaelic Warrior’s victory in 2026, he has gone on to win the following renewal with the same horse, the chance of a repeat victory in 2027 must be strong.
With the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase often being a stepping stone to Gold Cup success, Willie could have a strong hand with the 1-2, Kitzbuhel and Final Demand stepping out of Novice company in 2026/27. Don’t forget Kaid d’Authie either who fell in that race, dual Gold Cup winner - Al Boum Photo did the same… Gaelic Warrior had actually won the Arkle over 2m two years prior but it would be a surprise to see the 2026 1-2, Kargese and Kopek Des Bordes venturing up to 3m2.5f, they look to be all speed rather than stamina.
The 2026 second - Jango Baie was only seven, so time is on his side and I’m sure he’ll be back for another crack at the race as an eight year old and it’ll be fascinating to see if he can close the gap with Gaelic Warrior. He went on to land Grade 1 glory at the Aintree Festival and will be hoping to go one better in the 2027 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
